Mail-bag catcher



(No Model.)

G. W. SMITH. MAIL BAG OA'TGHER.

Patented Sept. 1, 1891;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. SMITH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MAI L-BAG CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 458,960, datedSeptember 1, 1891.

Application filed June 8,1891. Serial No. 395,561. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SMITH, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mail-Bag Catchers; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved n1ail-bagcatcher applicable to postal cars, which shall not only be simple andcheap in construction and readily applied to any car-door, but one alsothat will perform the functions of catching and holding the bag securelywhen the car is moving in either direction, and this without thenecessity of removing and bodily reversing the whole device; and tothese and other ends the invention consists in certain novelties ofconstruction and combination of parts, all as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and the novel features pointed out particularly in the claimsat the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my catcher applied to acar-door; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, asectional view on the line 0c :0 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a similar view onthe line 11] y of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a similar view on the line .2' ofFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the end-bearing andretaining-collar separated. Fig. 7 is a sectional view looking at theside of the collar next the bearing.

Similar referencenumerals indicate similar parts.

In Fig. 1 the catcher is shown suspended on the shaft 1, extendingacross a ear-door, though in a vertical position, such as it will occupywhen not in use. This shaft 1 extends through bearings 2, secured to theside timbers of the door, and is preferably longer than the width of anydoor it is liable to be applied to, being prevented from longitudinalmovement in the bearings in one direction by a pin 3, passedtransversely through its end, and in the other direction by a slottedcollar 4:, engaging grooves in the sides of the shaft and provided withlugs 5 at its lower end, projecting at right angles to the plane of thecollar, engaging a projection 6 on the bearing 2, which prevent itsturning and becoming disengaged. By thus providing means for securingthe shaft at one end only the device can be attached to car-doors of anywidth without requiring a series of holes in the shaft or anything morethan a simple bearing-block on one side. The shaft is applied by placingthe collar on the shaft and then passing its end through the bearing 2,engagingfthe lugs 5 with it, and then passing the key-pin 3 through itsend, as will beunderstood.

Upon the shaft 1 is the main body portion or sleeve 8, adapted to slidefreely thereon and having at opposite ends sockets, in which are locatedrubber buffers 9, held in place by screws or pins 10, inserted in thebuifers and engaging grooves in the sleeve and prevented from outwardindependent movement, said pins or screws being inserted through asuit-- able aperture in the sleeve ends, which may afterward be closed,if desired. Upon the outer sides of the sleeve are inclined shoulders11, and between them a socket or recess for the accommodation of thepivotal stud 19 on the catcher-arm 13, said stud being permitted to turnfreely in the socket, but held from outward movement by means of ribsformed on plate 14-, bearing on the socketpiece and secured together andto the sleevecasting by bolts 15, passiugthrough apertures in theformer, which ribs enter an annular groove 16, provided in the stud.Other n1eanssuch as a pincould be provided for securing the catcher-arm,if desired; but I prefer the arrangement shown.

In the side of the socket for the stud is arranged a sliding pin 17,moved inward by a spring 18 and adapted to enter either of two recesses11), provided on the sides of the stud when the catcher-arm parallelwith the sleeve in position to catch a mail-bag. The outer end of thepin 17 is provided with a k nob 20, by which it may be 'ithdrawn whendesired to reverse the catcher-arl'n.

Upon the inner side of the sleeve or easting 8 are arrangedtwolugs2l,between which is arranged a bar 22 of spring metal providedwith a handle 23, by which the sleeve is turned on its shaft, so thatthe catcher-arm roe will project at right angles to the side of the caras usual, the spring serving to prevent the shock of impact when the bagstrikes the arm from being communicated to the operator, as will beunderstoocl. The catcher-arm is slotted. near its inner end, and in saidslot is arranged an annular bag-retaining arm 25, pivoted upon a sleeve26 on a bolt 27, passing through the sides of the arm, the object ofthis arran ement being to permit the free movement of the arm on itspivot, while the bolt may be tightened up to brace the thin sides of thecatcher-arm. Instead of this arrangement the sleeve could be madeintegral with the bolt, if desired. The arm 25 is shaped substantiallyas shown in Fig. 2, and is so arranged relatively to the neck of thecatcher-arm that in one position the shorter end back of the pivotprojects into said neck, the longer one being within the slot, as inFig. 1. WVhen the bag is forced into the neck, it will strike theshorter end and turn the arm around to the position shown in Fig. 2, thelonger arm then holding the bag and being prevented from outwardmovement by the ratchet-teeth on the rear segmental portion, with whichengages a pivotal pawl or catch 28, actuated by a spring 29.

The operation of the device will now be apparent. The operator withinthe car grasps the spring-handle and holds the device with thecatcher-arm projecting from the side in the direction the car is moving,the retaining arm being as in Fig. 1, and when the bag is forced intotheme]; of the catcher the retaining-arm will be actuated to theposition, Fig. 2, grasping the bag and preventing its being accidentallyremoved, said arm locked by the pawl, and the bag securely held. The bagmay then be removed by swinging the catcherarm within the car, the pawldisengaged, and the retaining-arm turned outward again.

When it is desired to operate the catcher with the car moving in theopposite direction, instead of bodily removing the device and shaft fromthe car, as ordinarily, the operator simply withdraws thespring-operated pin 17 and turns the catcher-arm on the pivotal studuntil it projects in the oppositedirection, the said pin looking it inthis position, as before, when the operation before described will takeplace.

The buffers on the end of the sleeve engage the bearings on the car, asusual, and lessen the force of the blow, and the springhandle isparticularly advantageous, as it relieves the person holding the armhorizontal from the shock, to which he is at present sub jected when arigid arm is employed, and this I regard as one of the most advantageousfeatures of my device.

When it is desired to remove the catcher from one car to another, thiscan be readily accomplished by disengaging the pin 3 and slotted plate4, before described, and removin g the shaft, which, being secured atone end esaeeo 1. In a bag-catcher, the combination, with r the catcheradapted to move longitudinally, of an operating-handle connectedtherewith, said handle being elastic in the direction of thelongitudinal movement of the arm, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the supportingshaft, of a sleeve adapted toslide longitudinally thereon, having a buffer, a bag-catcher pivoted onthe sleeve, provided with a catcherarm, and an operating-handle on thecatcher elastic in the direction of the longitudinal movement of thesleeve and arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the supportingshaft, of a sleeve adapted toslide longltudinally thereon, having the buffer, a bag-catcher arm onthe sleeve, and an operating-handle elastic in the direction of thelongitudlnal movement of the sleeve and arm, substantially as described.

4.. In a bag-catcher, the combination, with the body having a socket anda handle, of a catcher-arm provided with a round stud having the annulargroove and entering the socket, retaining devices on the body forengaging the groove in the stud and holding it within the socket, thoughpermitting its rotation, and a catch for engaging the stud and lockingit to the body with the arm pro ecting in either direction,substantially as described.

5. In a bag-catcher, the combination, with the catcher-arm, of theretainer pivoted on said catcher-arm and itself having two arms, oneprojecting normally in the path of the entering bag and the otheradapted to pro ect over and secure the bag when the retainer is operatedon its pivot, substantially as described.

6. In a bag catcher, the combination, with the body portion, of thereversible catcherarm provided thereon, the pivoted retainerarm movingwith the catcher-arm and itself having two arms, one adapted to bestruck by the bag and the other to hold the bag when the retainer is sooperated, substantially as described. 7 V

7. In a bag-catcher, the combination, with the catcherarm, of thepivoted bag-retainer having two arms and the notched rear side, one ofsaid arms projecting in the path of the entering bag and the otheradapted to project over and secure the bag when the retainer is IIOoperated on its pivot,- and the spring-operated of one of the bearingsand the pin oil the catch engaging the notches on the bag-reshaftengaging the other side of said bearing, [0

tainiiIlg arm, substantially as described. substantially as described.

8. n a ba -catcher the combination, with a T I the catcher groper, 01 5the shaft on which it GEORQE SMITH' operates, having the notches, thesupporting \Vitnesses:

bearings for the shaft, the removable collar FRED F. CHURCH,

engaging the notch in the shaft and one side A. G. TARREN.

